Monday, April 2, 2012

Themed Reviews: Easter


Easter: Sunday, April 8, 2012

            Easter marks the end of Lent, the forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance. This Christian holiday that honors Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead has been celebrated in various forms for thousands of years. It is considered a movable feast—meaning it doesn't fall on a set date every year but instead is celebrated (at least in the western world) on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox; somewhere between March 22 and April 25 every year.

            Today, common practices include going to church, Easter egg hunts and baskets, and meals with family and friends. Easter is the second largest "candy" holiday in the U.S.; only Halloween sells more. Chocolate bunnies and jellybeans are two of the most prevalent candies at Easter. Over 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies and 16 billion jellybeans are produced each year. And as illustrated by the books in this year's feature, the Easter Bunny is a popular symbol this time of year. Browse through these titles and those from previous years for some selections to share with your family or students.

http://www.clcd.com/features/th_easter.php


Duck and Goose: Here Comes the Easter Bunny!
Tad Hills


The poultry odd couple, Duck and Goose, are back. Easter is tomorrow and they need to find a good spot to hide so they can catch a glimpse of the Easter Bunny. But where? In the pond? No, the water is too cold. Up high in a tree? Ooops, they find themselves up too high in the tree. Worried they might not get to see the Easter Bunny, they decide to pretend they are trees in the meadow. Covering themselves in tree branches from the furry top of their head to their webbed feet, they settle down to wait, anxious to see the Easter Bunny and sure he won't even know they are watching. Hmmm. But were they watching when the Bunny came or were they snoozing? Find out by reading this fun book and looking for the special appearance of the Easter Bunny who left some of the prettiest colored eggs ever seen inside an Easter basket. The author, also well-known as an illustrator has written several other "Duck and Goose" books including two New York Times bestselling picture books, Duck, Duck, Goose and Duck and Goose. What does the author think is important to share with the parents of his readers? "Read to your kids. Have your kids read to you. Or—and this is a great way to get reluctant readers reading—encourage your child to get comfortable and read to a pet (or even a doll). Pets and dolls won't judge a reader's ability and they'll love the attention." Right on, Mr. Hills! 2012, Schwartz & Wade Books/Random House Children's Books, Ages 2 to 5, $6.99. Reviewer: Suzanne Javid (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780375872808
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